Liir
Liir (pronounced "Lir") is Elphaba's son in Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Son of a Witch, both by Gregory Maguire. Liir's paternity and maternity is in doubt throughout both novels, but it is strongly suggested that he is the son of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and her lover Fiyero (the narrator in Wicked refers to Liir as "Fiyero's bastard son" and to Fiyero's children as his half-siblings, apparently confirming at least that parentage). In Wicked, Elphaba claims not to know whether Liir is her son, and aside from occasional moments of warmth, does not treat him as such; however, it should be noted that Elphaba was not a particularly affectionate person. Through his Mother, Liir can lay claim to the titile of Eminent Thropp and through his father he can lay claim to the Monarchy of the Arjiki tribe due to his half-sibling's demise. In an interview, author Gregory Maguire describes Liir as "Elphaba's son". Liir befriends Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto, too. Life Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West In the novel, Liir accompanies Elphaba Thropp from the mauntery (cloister) where she hides after Fiyero's death. He is a silent and sullen child, and Elphaba appears largely indifferent to him, though she later realizes she has motherly love for him, which he never notices. Liir travels with Elphaba to Fiyero's family home, Kiamo Ko. There, he attempts to befriend Fiyero's children, Irji, Manek and Nor. Irji and Manek, the boys, torture Liir (for example, Manek made him hide in the fishwell and he almost drowned, which made Elphaba so furious she semi-accidentally killed Manek), but Nor befriends him, after a fashion. When the Wizard sends a garrison of soldiers to the neighboring town, Liir, seeking a male role model, becomes attached to their leader, Commander Cherrystone (which worries Elphaba to no end). He is shocked when Cherrystone carries out his orders to abduct Fiyero's children, wife, and sisters-in-law. When Dorothy Gale and her party arrive from the Emerald City, Liir becomes infatuated with her. He is not present when Dorothy accidentally kills Elphaba. He was 14 when Elphaba was melted. 'Son of a Witch' Son of a Witch tells of Liir's life after Elphaba's death. He accompanies Dorothy and her friends on their journey to the Emerald City. On the way, they encounter the semi-nomadic Scrow and their leader, Princess Nastoya, an ancient Elephant who asks for Liir's help in breaking the enchantment which disguises her as a human, in exchange for information about Nor. In the Emerald City, Liir is refused an audience with the Wizard. The Scarecrow advises Liir on how to survive the political turmoil after the Wizard's departure. Glinda assists him in gaining access to Southstairs, a political prison beneath the Emerald City where Liir believes Nor may be held; however, he discovers that Nor has already escaped. Eventually, Liir joins the Home Guard and is posted to the Quadling Country, until he is ordered to burn a native village. He carries out his orders, but then deserts in self-disgust and returns to Kiamo Ko. At Kiamo Ko, Liir encounters a dying Swan on her way to a Conference of Birds. The Birds are being oppressed by dragons raised by Oz's pious new Emperor (in reality Elphaba's younger brother Shell, although this is not revealed until late in the novel). Liir decides to take the Swan's place at the conference, but while flying there on Elphaba's broom, he is attacked by dragons, knocked from the sky and left for dead; the dragons take the broom as a spoil. He is found by a party of travelers led by Oatsie Manglehand, who takes him to the mauntery of St. Glinda, where readers first met Liir in Wicked. At the mauntery, a Quadling novice named Candle, an accomplished musician, nurses Liir back to health. (She also sleeps with him while he is comatose, horrifying Liir when she announces later that she is pregnant.) On the advice of the ancient maunt Mother Yackle, Candle removes Liir to a farmhouse some distance away. When he has fully recovered, Liir returns to the Emerald City, where he joins up with dragon trainer Trism bon Cavalish to destroy the dragons (reclaiming the broomstick while doing so). Liir and Trism flee the Emerald City, and while on the run the two become lovers, having sex in an inn whilst hiding from soldiers. They take refuge at the mauntery, where the maunts protect them from a pursuing Home Guard regiment. Liir escapes on Elphaba's broom, and Trism leaves disguised as Glinda's manservant. Liir rejoins the Conference of Birds, and leads them in a display of defiance against the Emperor. He returns to Candle, who is heavily pregnant, and resentful of Liir, the newly arrived Scrow, and of Trism, who reached the farm before Liir, but left apparently unable to convince Candle to flee for her safety. The Scrow have encamped near the farmhouse, and Liir convinces Candle to use her music to help the dying Princess Nastoya. Candle's music returns Nastoya to her true form, and she dies. Liir accompanies the Scrow on their return to the grasslands, and when he comes back, Candle has gone, abandoning her newborn child; the baby girl is green, apparently confirming for the last time that Liir is indeed Elphaba's son. He is 24 when (Oziandra) Rain is born. 'A Lion Among Men' He appears in ALAM during the Cowardly Lion's account of his journey with Dorothy. 'Out of Oz' It is mention in Out of Oz by a Wren sent by Grace Graeyling of the Conference of Birds that Liir is alive and "well hid." It is also written in the first pages of the book that Liir is 30 years old and his daughter (Oziandra) or Rain is 7 or 8. When Dorothy reappears near the end of the book, Rain is about 16, making Liir about 42 when we last see him taking pen to paper to write his own book. 'In the Musical' Liir's character was omitted from the musical adaptation of Wicked. External Links * Liir - Wikipedia Category:Characters of Wicked Category:Winkie Category:Thropp Family Category:Elphaba Thropp Category:Book Exclusive Characters Category:The Wicked Years